Package for a water-soluble capsule

ABSTRACT

One or more water-soluble capsules ( 3 ) containing a detergent composition in combination with a package ( 1 ) containing the one or more water-soluble capsules, characterised in that the package is formed from a material which has a Moisture Vapour Transfer Rate (M.V.T.R) of between 0.25 g/m2/day to 10 g/m2/day at 38° C. and 90% relative humidity. The Moisture Vapour Transfer Rate is between 0.25 g/m2/day to 5 g/m2/day at 38° C. and 90% relative humidity. In a preferred embodiment, the package is self-standing by means of a collapsible base ( 16 ) portion which expands from a collapsed position to an expanded position when one or more capsules is/are placed on the base, and is collapsible when empty so as to make the package substantially flat.

The present invention relates to a package or container for one or morewater-soluble capsules containing a detergent composition.

Detergent compositions for machine washing of laundry are provided inmany forms such as free-flowing powders, liquids. Detergents in the formof compressed powder tablets are also commonly available.

Tablets have several advantages over free-flowing powdered products andthese are well documented, in particular, as they do not requiremeasuring they are thus easier to handle and dispense into the wash loadand allow for accurate dosing of detergent.

More recently water-soluble capsules of detergent composition in liquidand other forms have been introduced. Water-soluble capsules generallycomprise a detergent composition encapsulated with water-soluble film,such as polyvinyl alcohol. Encapsulation allows for handling withoutdirect contact with the detergent composition. This is especiallyadvantageous when the detergent composition includes aggressive cleaningcomponents which would irritate the skin on direct contact.

Also, unlike tablets, the use of water-soluble packages enablesdiscretising of particulate detergent composition without the need forcompaction. Therefore the problems in solubility arising from compactionof particulate detergent are not encountered with water-soluble packagesof this type of detergent.

A further advantage of water-soluble capsules is that this allowsdiscretising of other types of detergent e.g. liquid. Liquid is far morereadily dissolvable than compressed powder and so not prone to thedissolution problems encountered with tablets formed in this way.

However, a problem encountered with water-soluble capsules is that thewater soluble film material is vulnerable to increased levels of ambienthumidity during storage and this can lead to premature dissolution ofthe film and as a result the capsule may rupture and release itcontents.

In the case of liquid-filled capsules, leaked liquid from a singleruptured capsule could, if not contained, lead to the dissolution of anentire package of capsules, which is highly undesirable.

Another problem is that if, during storage, the film of the watersoluble capsule becomes damp, it may then increase the possibility ofin-wash lodging as a tacky film is more likely to stick to the washingmachine door before it has chance to be caught up in the main wash.

One solution might be to use waterproof but this can result in hightemperatures (within the packaging) in many environments and this cancontribute to film degradation. Thus, it can be seen that thesignificant benefits of increased solubility offered by encapsulationwith water soluble film can be severely compromised by thesusceptibility of the film to deteriorate during storage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a package forcontaining water-soluble capsules of detergent, which overcome at leastsome of the above mentioned problems. In particular, it is an object ofthe invention to provide packaging for water-soluble capsules containinga detergent composition, which is protected against the effect ofambient moisture and is also simple, low-cost and convenient to use.

Accordingly, in one aspect the invention provides one or morewater-soluble capsules containing a detergent composition in combinationwith a package containing said one or more water-soluble capsules,characterised in that the package is formed from a material which has aMoisture Vapour Transfer Rate (M.V.T.R) of between 0.25 g/m²/day to 10g/m²/day at 38° C. and 90% relative humidity, and preferably between0.25 g/m²/day to 5 g/m²/day at 38° C. and 90% relative humidity.

With this arrangement, the water soluble capsules can be protected fromambient humidity during storage, by a simplified packaging.

A further problem is that many existing packages are unsuitable forencapsulated detergent—as they are designed for powders (e.g. boxes/bagsfrom which powder is scooped) or liquids (bottles/refill bags from whichthe liquid is poured) or boxes in which tablets are stacked. Suchpackaging does not capitalise on such characteristics of water-solublefilm encapsulated detergent such as the possibility of direct handling.

Thus, advantageously, the package is self-standing by means of acollapsible base portion which expands from a collapsed position to anexpanded position when one or more capsules is/are placed on the base,and is collapsible when empty so as to make the package substantiallyflat.

With this arrangement, the amount of plastic packaging material disposedin the environment can be substantially decreased as there is no need toalso provide a separate support structure to allow the package to standupright. The provision of a self-standing package is particularlyadvantageous when used with encapsulated detergent, as the capsules canbe conveniently retrieved by reaching into the standing package, evenwhen there is only a single capsule remaining therein.

Preferably the package is formed as a single-walled body. The term“single-walled” should be construed as meaning that at any point the isonly one wall thick. It includes a body comprising one or more wallswhich have a laminate structure.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdescription of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only,with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sealed package containing around-shaped water-soluble capsule of liquid detergent, according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the package of FIG. 1, shown empty;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the package of FIG. 1, viewed from the base;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the package of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the package of FIG. 4, viewed from the base;and

FIG. 7 is a side view of the package of FIG. 4.

The packaging system of the invention is intended to consist of aconsumer unit containing the detergent composition of the invention anddesigned to be used/stored as such in the consumer homes.

The units shown are bags/pouches and can be made either from raw stockor from preformed and/or prefolded sheet material, and can be sealed byvarious means, e.g. by heat, adhesives/glue, tapes. The bags/pouchesherein are made of films, either monolayer, including coextrudedmaterials, or laminated; such films are typically paper or plastic orcombinations of the two; preferred materials for the bags herein areplastic and/or paper laminates. Plastic, materials are typicallypolyolefines, and both plastic and paper can be virgin or recycledmaterial; the films herein can be printed in different ways, typicallygravure, flexo, offset. Also encompassed herein are films with moisturebarrier properties, obtained by resins, either coextruded or indifferent laminated layers, or coating by e.g. lacquers. One combinationof the invention is shown, comprising a plastic bag 1 which contains oneor more water soluble capsules 3 (only one shown) of detergent liquid.

Other shaped water-soluble capsules may be used e.g. round, as shown inFIGS. 1, 3 and 4 or rectangular (sometimes referred to as‘pillow-shaped’) as shown in FIG. 5.

The plastic bag 1 is constructed from a laminar material comprising twolayers: an outer layer of polyester (PET) which is 12 microns thick andan inner layer of low linear density polyethylene (LLDPE) 150 micronsthick. This material has an MVTR value of 4.60 g/m²/day at 38° C. and90% relative humidity.

The bag has two rectangular side walls 2, 4 which are heat (orglue)-sealed together along corresponding longitudinal edges and whichis closed at one end (the base portion 17) by a base wall 6 and at theother end (the upper portion 18) by 20, 22 seals both which aredescribed below in greater detail.

In the base portion 17 of the bag 1 there is a base wall 6 which isformed from a rectangular sheet of plastic, perimeter portions of whichare heat(or glue)-sealed to respective edges portions of the endportions 8, 10 of the side walls 2, 4. The sealing portion 12 (i.e. thepart forming the seal with the base wall 6) is shaped such that theeffective base area 16 is very generally elliptical (as shown moreclearly in FIG. 3).

At the upper end 18 of the bag 1, there is a resealable closure member20, which comprises a plastic zip 20 having corresponding engagementportions fixed on respective side walls 2, 4, internally of the bag 1.

The package further includes a permanent heat or glue seal 22 in theuppermost portion 18 a. Just below this portion, there is an indent 26in the seal section 5 and/or 7, to assist tearing (along the dotted line28, which may be weakened) so as to enable removal of the upper portion18 a (after purchase). The bag 1 can then be opened and sealed/resealedrepeatedly by use of the zip 20.

The bag 1 is self-standing on a substantially flat surface showngenerally at 14, (and which could be for example a shelf, work topetc.,) when one or more capsules is/are placed on the base portion: theweight of the capsule acts downward on the base wall which therebyexpands laterally to support the capsule and as a result the package isdisposed in an upright position.

The construction as described above allows the bag to be formed one wallthick but self-standing and without a supporting structure such as abox.

An alternative embodiment is constructed as shown in FIGS. 1-3 but isformed from an alternative sheet material. In this embodiment, thelaminar material comprises two layers: an outer layer of polyester (PET)which is 12 microns thick and an inner layer of low linear densitypolyethylene (LLDPE) 180 microns thick. This material has an MVTR valueof 4.50 g/m²/day at 38° C. and 90% relative humidity. This increasedthickness of the LLDPE layer provides a reduced MVTR and additionalstability for larger packs (e.g. where say 20-30 or more capsules arepackaged).

A further embodiment is shown in FIGS. 4-7. This bag is structure as forthe package above except that it has outwardly curved sides whichprovide extra volume. The bag may have an increased outer curvature atthe base so as to lower the centre of gravity of the package when one ormore capsules, are contained so providing a more stable package.

The package of FIGS. 4-7 may comprise any suitable material, such asthat in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3.

The detergent liquid contained in the water soluble capsules exemplifiedhere comprises: Level (weight Raw material percent of total) Nonionic20.00 Surfactant (alcohol ethoxylate) Linear Dodecylbenzene SulphonicAcid 20.00 Fatty acid 17.00 Monopropylene glycol 22.35 Monoethanolamine9.65 Water, perfume, minor ingredients 11.00

In another embodiment, capsules contain a granular laundry detergentpowder as follows:

Base Powder Linear Dodecylbenzene Sulphonic Acid (Sodium salt) 8.8%Alcohol ethoxylate (C12-C13 7 EO) 7.0% C16-C18 Carboxylic acid 1.0%Zeolite 29.6% Anhydrous Sodium Carbonate 10.5% Moisture, Salts, Minors4.1% (All above in a granulated Base Powder)

Post-Dosed Ingredients Sodium Percarbonate 18.0% Tetracetylethylenediamine 3.5% Sodium Disilicate 5.5% Sodium Citrate 2.0%Fluorescer, antifoam, speckles, enzyme, fragrance, minors 10.0%

However, it will be well appreciated that the detergent composition maytake any suitable form e.g. any liquid, gel, granulated powder orcombination thereof.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended tobe restricted to the details of the above embodiments which aredescribed by way of example only.

1. One or more water-soluble capsules containing a detergent compositionin combination with a package containing said one or more water-solublecapsules, wherein the package is formed from a material which has aMoisture Vapour Transfer Rate (M.V.T.R) of between 0.25 g/m²/day to 10g/m²/day at 38° C. and 90% relative humidity.
 2. A combination accordingto claim 1, wherein the material has a Moisture Vapour Transfer Rate ofbetween 0.25 g/m²/day to 5 g/m²/day at 38° C. and 90% relative humidity.3. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the package isself-standing by means of a collapsible base portion which expands froma collapsed position to an expanded position when one or more capsulesis/are placed on the base, and is collapsible when empty so as to makethe package substantially flat.
 4. A combination according to claim 3wherein the base is expandable in a direction outwardly of the packageinterior and collapsible by folding inwardly of the package interior. 5.A combination according to claim 3 wherein the base is expandable in adirection outwardly of the package interior and collapsible/expandableby means of resilient portions.
 6. A combination according to claim 1wherein the package has outwardly curved sides.
 7. A combinationaccording to claim 6 wherein the sides have increased outward curvaturetoward the base of the package.
 8. A combination according to claim 1wherein the package includes resealable closure means.
 9. A combinationaccording to claim 8 wherein the resealable closure means comprises azip member.
 10. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the packageis a flexible bag.
 11. A combination according to claim 1 wherein thedetergent composition is a liquid or includes a liquid portion.
 12. Acombination according to claim 1 wherein the detergent composition is apowder or includes a powder portion.
 13. A combination according toclaim 1 wherein the detergent composition is a gel or includes a gelportion.
 14. (Canceled)